Home, home again...

Home, home again
I like to be there when I can
When I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire

Calamity is back... After a hectic 2 weeks of loads of running around, it feels good to be home. Not that the city-that-never-sleeps disappointed me in any way, hehehe, but Serenity left in 5 days and Calamity was just travelling the length and breadth of the city on sourcing trips. Of course, Calamity MADE TIME to shop on the way (how could I resist?!) and tried out lots of eating joints... and took Serenity to eat street food (with the dire warning that he was NOT to let any reports of tummy upsets reach his in-laws!).... also a sushi BUFFET! (awesome awesome AWESOME!). There's this place which has an all-you-can-eat Pan-Asian buffet - (we never make it to the main course) which allows you to bring your own booze! I swear, HOW COOL IS THAT?!! and then pay a minimal corkage on your own hooch! No hefty hooch bills - BLISS!


I love going away, sometimes... mainly because I love coming back to Serenity! I loooove seeing him in a crowd as much as I like looking for him - and then I love to see him smile at me, when I've been smile-deprived for a while! Much before we got married, Serenity gave me fair warning that he was not the OTT Romantic and that I'd be VERY disappointed if that was what I was expecting! He also claims to be zero imagination when it comes to gifts! But over the 2 years that we've been married, the surprises have come... I'm surprised he doesnt take the numerous clothes I leave lying around and throttle me with them! I'm surprised when he doesn't understand blatant hints... I'm always surprised by how he instinctively gets (some) things right when it comes to me!! ... those are the good surprises... like any marriage, we've had the bad surprises too... and the way we've come through those doesn't just surprise me, it AWES me.


But what I was getting to, was how Serenity surprises me with welcome-home gestures that I cannot help but smile at, and sometimes laugh delightedly! Once, I got home after we'd been fighting long-distance to find a BIG bunch of roses on the table.... and lots more in strange places like the fridge, my cupboard, on the laundry chest (I think that was because the clothes needed to be done!!) and even in the loo!! There was a bunch of t-shirts and blouses that the roses led to in the cupboard and the fridge! There was a sweet letter that made me cry - and the man claimed to be a staunch anti - romantic! See? pleasant surprise right there!... Another time, I get back home.... and I'd been whining and whining about my back and how my chair was killing my posture and I walked in to my room, switched on the light and there! There was this huge-ass office chair! 


This morning, before Serenity left for work, he looked despairingly at my desk and said "You should clean your desk, you know?!" To which, I stuck out my tongue! Sitting at my desk for over 3 hours after the man left for work, I had a near miss when I almost spilt a big mug of tea... as I tried to mop up the spill, I FINALLY noticed the Lamy box near my keyboard. I'd said something weeks ago about how all us designer types could never afford those in college and how we always looked at one as a mark of having "arrived"! Serenity, now, owns a Waterman ink pen and a couple of other fancy-shmancies... so he just winced and said "A Lamy? That's all you aspired to?" :) But then Calamity explained and rambled on for a bit and then forgot all about it.... until this morning! 


And as I gleefully scribbled my signature over and over again and read the note that came with it, I suddenly thought of that conversation we had... "So.. please tell me you don't expect flamboyant romantic gestures!" ... and my reaction "Uh...no...I don't expect flowers and poetry, no!" ... And now I'm wondering what romantic gestures I'm missing out on with these "supposedly" unromantic things that he does for me!


Calamity thanks you, dear Serenity... for being the best thing that's happened to me. XOXO

The more things change, the more they remain the same.....

Serenity and Calamity are moving!.... Yes, go on, heave that sigh of relief.... there will be no more ranting about the city-that-wakes-up-early for a while. We're on our way to our next adventure in Tech City. This bodes well for Calamity's professional and social life, definitely... though Calamity is VERY apprehensive about giving away HER house! Serenity, as always, takes everything in his stride and Calamity has to poke and prod him to show some excitement! 


Calamity, today, in the midst of her daily chaos, lovingly sat and wrapped up some of her crystal. (Packed 2 sets and then the heat got to her, so she ran back into her airconditioned den of coolth!!) Well at least I'm getting started with the packing, na? Its a month of travel - Serenity and Calamity take off for the city-that-doesnt-sleep tomorrow. Serenity will be dragged along, kicking and screaming till all hours of the morning to meet with assorted bunches of Calamity's crazy friends... then he gets back, and starts planning the last Boy's Night at Chez Nous! (while Calamity continues on her mad whirl in afore-mentioned city!) Boy's night is usually held at our place, considering Serenity's wife takes off ever so often!! I think Serenity will miss that... though there's another bunch waiting in Tech City for our house-warming pahteee! 


Which brings me to the house! Calamity, though relieved to be leaving this city, has been apprehensive about the "what will we do about this house, what house will we get there" and other such questions! Well, it turns out that the Person Up There wanted us to move too... why else would it transpire that we would fall in LOVE with the very FIRST house our agents took us to?!! Calamity almost danced through the house, while Serenity followed at his sedate pace, not giving away anything. Calamity was like a child in a candy store and tugged and muttered to Serenity every chance she got "Its beeyootiful ! I want, I want, I want!!".... and it turns out that we got it! (just barely, actually! We saw 2 other parties who came there while we were there and they wanted it too!!) But we got it! Yay! And as we settled in to sleep our way back home, we both stayed awake for a long time... just thinking... and I reached for Serenity's hand and squeezed and whispered "I cant believe how lucky we are"... he squeezed back and he smiled. 


So now, we're off on the next leg of our adventure, with another new start in a new place with lots of old friends. Its like a replay of the initial settling down... packing, unpacking, doing up etc etc...


And I squeeze Serenity's hand and he squeezes mine, I smile and go to sleep content.